This invention relates to a motor vehicle having a front-end radiator arrangement with a duct-type air guiding housing being arranged between a front-side air supply opening of an elastic covering part forming a vehicle end area and at least one radiator, which air guiding housing is connected to the covering part and the radiator.
German Patent Document DE 333 38 466 A1 discloses a front-end radiator arrangement for a motor vehicle in which case two radiators which being disposed above one another are arranged between the two laterally exterior side members, which radiators each being connected by way of a separate air guiding housing to an air supply opening of an elastic covering part forming the vehicle end area. The air guiding housing situated on the bottom is fixedly connected on its two ends by means of screwable fastening devices with the radiator, on the one hand, and with the covering part, on the other hand.
By means of its one end, the air guiding housing situated on top is fixedly connected with the radiator, whereas the other end projects into the hollow space of a bumper support. Both air guiding housings are constructed of a uniform, dimensionally stable plastic material. In the case of an impact shock onto the bumper, the elastic covering part and the bumper support move by a specific path toward the rear in the direction of the radiator and then, without damaging the covering part, return into their original position.
However, in the case of this arrangement, there is the risk that the air guiding housing formed of relatively hard dimensionally stable plastic material will not go along in the relative movement between the bumper and the body and that the air guiding housing is damaged during the relative movement.
It is an object of the invention to further develop an air guiding housing for a front-end radiator arrangement such that, while the guiding of the cooling air is good and the mounting is simple, the air guiding housing can absorb without any damage the relative movement onto the covering part occurring during an impact shock.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by an arrangement wherein the air guiding housing is fixedly connected to the radiator and interacts with the covering part situated in front only by way of a loose sliding fit, and wherein at least partial areas of the air guiding housing are made of an elastically deformable material which compensates the displacing movement.
A principal advantage achieved by means of the invention is that, as the result of the only fixed linking of the air guiding housing being at the radiator with a loose sliding fit between the air guiding housing and the covering part, a fast and simple mounting is achieved. A further principal advantage is achieved by the invention in that, as the result of the construction of the air guiding housing which is elastically deformable at least in sections, relative movements between the bumper and the vehicle body are compensated without any damage to the air guiding housing.
Preferably, the plastic air guiding housing is manufactured in a two-component construction, with the partial area which faces the covering part being made of an elastically deformable plastic material, whereas the partial area facing the radiator is made of a dimensionally stable plastic material.
In the case of an impact shock of up to approximately 8 km/h onto the forward bumper, this bumper will slide by approximately 80 to 120 mm toward the rear and the soft section of the air guiding housing will compensate the relative movement while forming a fold, in which case, when the bumper is returned into its original position, the fold will retract. As a result, no forces or only very low forces are transmitted to the radiator.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.